CHAPTER 120

Looking at Namikaze Minato's back, Uchiha Kai couldn't help but let a faint smile curl on his lips.

The fish had entered the basket.

In this case, Namikaze Minato was the fish, and Uchiha Kai's carefully orchestrated plan—rooted in his knowledge of future events—was the basket. Kai had taken full advantage of Minato's ideals and hopes, wrapping them in just enough sincerity to make the offer irresistible. Everything he told Minato was true—at least technically. And Minato, as sharp as he was, didn't realize he was stepping into a delicate political dance choreographed by an Uchiha.

Most crucially, Kai hadn't lied. He and Uchiha Fugaku would genuinely strive to integrate the Uchiha Clan more closely with the village and support Minato politically. They'd offer quiet backing, ensuring Minato's competitors—most notably Orochimaru—faced opposition. But it wouldn't appear to come from them.

No one would suspect a direct alliance between Minato and the Uchihas. If anything, people would chalk Orochimaru's fall from grace up to his own ambition and cold detachment, or perhaps whispers from some unseen hand in the shadows. The truth would remain buried beneath layers of subtle manipulation.

After the Daimyō declared Orochimaru unfit to become Hokage—citing the darkness festering in his heart—Kai knew the die had been cast.

Minato would think this outcome was a result of quiet Uchiha support. And when the time came, once Minato assumed the mantle of the Fourth Hokage, he would meet with Uchiha Fugaku and hear of moderate, carefully presented reforms. Kai's mission would be complete: establishing a bridge between the Uchiha and the new Hokage.

"In truth," Kai thought, "even without our help, you would have become the Fourth Hokage. But I need you to believe it was because of our alliance."

He knew it was risky. But manipulating the present with the insight of the future… that was a luxury few could claim.

Meanwhile, Minato had returned to the Konoha camp in a flash, but his mind was far from still.

He was no fool.

Kai's words lingered. Orochimaru, once the frontrunner, had been subtly undermined. And Jiraiya—Minato's own teacher—had already voiced his disinterest in the role of Hokage. His wanderer's heart preferred hot springs and writing adult novels to sitting behind a desk.

Tsunade, too, had long left Konoha. She wasn't even being considered for the position.

That left him. Namikaze Minato—the Yellow Flash. A war hero. A genius. A student of the Sannin. Teammate to the current Ino-Shika-Cho. The choice seemed obvious.

Except… politics was not his strength.

That was the cost of youth: idealism, paired with inexperience. And Minato, humble and introspective, questioned whether that cost would be too high.

"I hope I'm not wrong to trust them."

Kai had shown an eerie kind of wisdom, a maturity born of something deeper—something Minato couldn't quite place. Dangerous, yet compelling.

He entered Jiraiya's tent just as his teacher glanced up from his manuscript.

"Minato, you're back," Jiraiya said with a grin. "You look like you've had one hell of a day. What happened, someone catch you peeping at that mountain girl bathing again?"

Minato smiled awkwardly, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. "No, nothing like that, sensei."

"Then what is it?"

"It's... complicated. We encountered a detachment led by Iwa's Loess. There were negotiations... and some troubling developments."

Jiraiya's expression sobered as Minato explained the situation, Kai's involvement, and the intelligence he had provided.

After a long pause, Jiraiya clapped a hand on his student's shoulder.

"You did well, Minato. And so did that kid, Kai. His intel sounds solid."

"But... sensei," Minato said quietly, "even if it's the right thing to do, it feels wrong. Iwa's tactics, Kai's manipulations... Is this what it means to lead in wartime?"

"It doesn't feel right," Jiraiya agreed. "But war is full of things that don't feel right. Hatred. Power struggles. Sacrifice. They shape nations."

Minato's eyes narrowed, full of quiet doubt. "Can that ever change?"

Jiraiya's gaze sharpened. "It can. When people learn to talk to one another—truly listen and understand. That's what ends hatred."

"Through... communication?" Minato repeated.

"Exactly," Jiraiya nodded. "But to make people listen, you need the right platform. You need authority."

"Like being Hokage…"

Minato trailed off, stunned by how neatly everything aligned—his ideals, Jiraiya's words, and the Uchiha's unexpected bet on him.

With a sudden clarity, he smiled.

"Sensei," he said, "I want to become Hokage."

Jiraiya grinned. "I support you."

"I mean the Fourth Hokage."

"No problem," Jiraiya said, full of conviction. "I'll always support you."